Eleven Words
by Darth Moya
Summary: Eleven phrases - eleven prompts. Eleven one-shot stories. Featuring Sakura Haruno as the main character in most of them. Pairings may be none, or may vary. Sometimes taking place in some unspecified AU.
1. Consulting Room

**1**

_**Consulting room**_

* * *

_**Dedicated to Aninka, who gave me those 11 prompts when I asked for 10... and yeah, we **_**are**_** friends. I'm just not gonna tell you.**_

* * *

Sakura sighed as she finished bandaging her patient's shoulder. Due to a flu epidemic in Konoha, there was a lack of work-able doctors and even ninja medics as her had to help out in the hospital's accident and emergency.

"Okay," she said with a small smile. "It's nothing serious. Just avoid any type of hard manual work for about two weeks and come next week for re-bandaging."

"Yes, ma'am," the man said, putting his shirt back on with small difficulties.

Sakura handed him a piece of paper. "Also take those medicals to avoid inflammation."

Man took the paper and tuned to leave. "Thank you ma'am. Goodbye."

Sakura nodded at him, filling in a form about patient reception already. "Goodbye."

She didn't mind working in the hospital as a regular doctor, but what she really wasn't fond of was the paperwork.

She sighed as another patient walk in. "Good morning. Sit down, please."

"Good morning."

Sakura took another blank form from the pile on her right, too much in her own world of thoughts to notice how familiar the voice sounded.

"Your name please," she asked, pen prepared.

"Kakashi Hatake."

She looked up in a flash. "Kakashi-sensei?"

The copy ninja smiled sheepishly waving his hand slightly. "Yo, Sakura."

She stood up. "What are you doing here?"

He looked around him. "Um… sitting in your consulting room."

She sighed. "I mean why are you here, sensei?"

Kakashi shrugged and raised his hand, covered in blood-soaked bandage. "I am injured. I wanted to know if it is serious."

She shot him a suspicious look. "I thought you as an experience ninja of all people_ could_ tell how bad it is."

The silver-haired jounin shrugged. "I had some business nearby, anyway, so I decided to ask for professional help."

Sakura pursed her lips and wrote the name _Kakashi Hatake _into the form. She still thought Kakashi was plotting something, but she couldn't deny him help, could she?

"Any motor problems?" she asked.

"I think I have some difficulties moving my smallest finger."

She made a note of that and walked over to him. "Let me see."

She rolled up his sleeve, taking off his gloves and loosening the bandage over the injury.

She noticed as she removed the bandage which was crispy with dried blood that his forearm was muscular and covered in dozens of small scars. She could imagine arm that strong crushing throats with grip alone.

Taking Kakashi's hand in hers, Sakura scrutinized the cut. It was long, ranging from his wrist to the place just below his smallest finger.

"It's not too deep," she mumbled, "But I can't be sure because of the dried blood. I would have to clean it."

She set his hand down and laid it on his thigh. "Leave it like this. Try not to move it."

Kakashi nodded.

Sakura felt a bit awkward as she searched the desk for pads and disinfection. She noticed Kakashi was looking at her intently all the time.

"How are you, sensei, anyway?"

She noticed him shrug in the corner of her vision. "Well. I was on a long-time mission."

"Oh," she took her tools and moved over to him. "That explains why you haven't met up with us for such a long time."

"It was only three months," he replied.

She took his hand again, though this time it felt a bit more awkward than the previous. "That's a lie. It was, like, five. And you haven't changed the tiniest bit, sensei."

He smiled under the mask. "But you had. You look older."

She managed a smile of her own. "That's the paperwork."

They both chuckled a bit.

Sakura poured the disinfection on the pad and started cleaning the injury in soft, circular motions.

Kakashi didn't even flinch as the liquid made contact with the exposed flesh.

Well, he was a ninja. A good ninja at that.

"The cut is quite clean," she stated. "No splinters or another foreign objects. And it's neat, not jagged. What did happen to you anyway?"

"Well, I was walking around the woods, when I walked into a very odd group of people. They needed blood for their ritual, the blood of the most handsome ninja in the village and then…"

Sakura sighed, though she found her sensei's antics amusing. "You're just making up another excuse, sensei."

Kakashi put on an innocent look, scratching the back of his head with his other hand. "Oh, you've seen through my deception, Sakura. I'm proud of you."

She smiled a bit, giving the cut last few taps of the now blood-stained pad. "Don't you dare change the topic, sensei. What happened?"

"Heh…" he gave her his best sheepish look. It was both amusing, adorable and annoying, in the special Kakashi way. "I cut my hand when I tried cooking and reading my Icha Icha simultaneously."

Sakura gave him a look. "You're impossible, Kakashi-sensei," she sighed.

"I know."

Sakura walked away one more time to retrieve the bandages. "Do you cut your food with kunai?" she asked casually.

"Um.. what?"

She turned with a sly look on her face. "Do you cut your food with kunai?"

His eye narrowed. "Just when I am on missions."

A victorious grin spread over her pretty face. "That's a kunai cut, sensei. You're lying to me again."

He smiled. "You're getting brighter and brighter, Sakura."

"Or you're getting old, sensei."

Kakashi watched her with a fond look in his only visible eye as she began bandaging his cut.

"Maybe I am," he agreed softly. "I am getting old and foolish."

Sakura took in a breath and held it as she looked up into his eye shyly. "But you still look the same."

"Old and ugly?" he asked.

Only now Sakura noticed how close their faces were. She smiled. "Old and handsome."

He smiled under the mask visibly. "Sakura," he said, still in conversational tone.

"Yes?" she asked with hope in her voice.

"Do you want to know what happened?"

She blinked and looked down at Kakashi's injured hand. "Of course, sensei."

"I cut myself with a kunai."

"What?" her eyes shot back up to the jounin, who scratched his head.

"I wanted to see you, but you were busy in the hospital, and I felt that coming over to your place would …"

"Seem inappropriate," she nodded, mesmerized.

He cut his hand so he could meet her?

"So I cut my hand with a kunai."

She gaped at him. "But… Kakashi-sensei!"

He was smiling at her. "What?"

"That's crazy!"

"Maybe."

She stared at him and then… she hugged him.

"I'm glad that I could see you again, sensei. We… I missed you."

She felt his hand on her back, patting her softly. "I missed you too, Sakura."

She drew back, just a bit. "Can we… meet more often, sensei?"

His visible eye was locked with hers. "Of course, Sakura. As often as you want to."

She swallowed.

"Sakura?"

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Would you mind stopping to squeeze my injured hand? It hurts."

He chuckled as she blushed heavily and drew back.

"Sorry, sensei."

He reached over with his healthy hand, putting it on her head and ruffling her hair. He couldn't help it. Blushing, she looked like the little adorable Sakura he remembered and liked.

A little annoyed expression crept up her face. "Sensei…"

"Yes?"

She was blushing more. "Could you please…"

He didn't let her finish, sliding his hand down to the nape of her neck and pulling her closer.

His masked lips met hers.

Sakura jumped back. "Sensei!"

"Yes, Sakura?"

"What are you doing?"

Kakashi's eye crinkled as he smiled. "Something very nice, Sakura."

She turned tomato red. "But… sensei…"

"Yes?"

"I…"

"Yes?"

"I…"

"Yes?"

"Kakashi!"

He smiled even more broadly at the lack of honorific. "Yes, Sakura?"

She sighed. "You're so… persistent."

"Yes, I am."

She looked at him and walked up to him once again, reaching forward and taking his mask in her fingers, not pulling it down yet.

"What are you doing, Sakura?" he asked calmly, making no move to stop her from exposing his face.

"I deserve something in turn," she mumbled, pulling it down slowly.

"In turn for what?" he asked, the mask already down his nose.

"For not beating the living hell out of you," she said softly, making him chuckle at how she made those harsh words sound.

"Well then," he said as the mask slid all the way down to his neck.

Sakura breathed out. "Wow…"

He was smiling, and she was actually _seeing_ his smile. "What?"

"It's so… normal," she said, eyeing his face with awe, bringing her hand up to caress his jaw.

"What did you expect?"

Her palm slid down his jaw and up to his cheek, cupping it, then moving to the side to brush over his lips. "I don't know. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being crazy and cutting your hand," she answered, kissing his lips.

He smiled into the kiss.

She drew back and there was a while of silence.

"Kakashi?" Sakura said then, softly, tying up the bandage again.

"Yes, Sakura?"

"You're an idiot."


	2. In a While

**2**

_**In A While**_

* * *

"Anyone coming with me?"

Sasuke and Naruto both looked at her.

"You go wherever you want to," Sasuke replied without interest as he resumed throwing kunai and shuriken at a nearby tree. "I'm staying."

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked nervously. "He's really late today. What if something happened to him?"

Sasuke shrugged and flicked his wrist, sending another shuriken flying with a lethal accuracy. "He can look after himself. He's a jounin after all."

Naruto sighed and glared at Sasuke for a while before looking at Sakura again. "I'm sorry, Sakura, but Sasuke… has a point. Besides, we're waiting for him for, like, five hours! That's two more hours than usually! If he can't drag himself to us, I'm surely not helping him!"

"Naruto!" Sakura took him short. "He's our sensei!"

"Yeah, whatever," Naruto pouted. "I'm not going."

Sakura watched him resume his nap under the tree Sasuke used as a target, avoiding all of the shuriken sticking out as he leant against it.

She sighed. She was alone in that one.

**T_T T-T T_T**

Okay.

She was back in Konoha, standing on one of the roofs, looking around.

So… where can a jounin with an odd hair colour in his late twenties be on Monday morning?

Well… morning… it was noon actually.

She jumped down on the street, people not even startling as they were accustomed to ninja moving around the place.

The kunoichi started walking at a casual pace, looking all around her.

Passing by the Yamanaka flower shop, she remembered one of their usual fangirl quarrels they had over Sasuke yesterday.

She chuckled when she recalled it. It was funny, really. They kept fighting over a guy who just looked annoyed every time he saw Ino and once in a time acknowledged Sakura's presence. That was pretty harsh, actually, considering they were on the same team.

Sakura was aware of that all indeed. But she had a crush on Sasuke nonetheless, and having a crush on someone means hoping, getting up after being smacked in the face by reality and, in fact, also loving the other no matter what. Even if Sasuke hated her deeply, she would still love him.

Oh well.

What was she doing?

Oh, looking for Kakashi-sensei.

She was failing at that all right.

Then she noticed a woman with a Konoha headband.

She knew this woman, she realized. She saw her once chatting with her sensei.

Actually, chatting with him in the time he was meant to be supervising their training, and preventing Sakura, who got a little overexcited, from beating Naruto into a pulp.

She sighed and ran to her.

"Excuse me, ma'am," she said, making the woman turn to her.

"Yes, kid?" she asked with a small, lopsided smile.

"Do you know my sensei, Kakashi Hatake?" Sakura asked.

"Why, yes, kid. Why?"

"We can't find him. Do you know where he is?"

The woman grinned broadly. "Not really, but I guess I can give you a good tip. After yesterday's night, I'm pretty sure he is at his place curing a huuuuuuuuuuge hangover."

Sakura sweatdropped. "Oh. Thank you, ma'am."

"No prob, kid," the woman replied, turning again to walk away.

"Wait, please," Sakura called.

"Um, yeah?"

"You know where he lives?"

"Kid, I don't recommend that. Kakashi can be a bit… weird in the morning, especially after a drinking night."

"Oh." the sweatdrop reappeared after Sakura realized that there must be some way this woman found out how Kakashi acts in the morning…. oh kami, Sakura just wished that she didn't have such a fancy. "But I really need to talk to him."

"'Kay kid, if you insist…. just keep in mind that he's really not a morning person. He lives nearby, just walk down this street, take the third turn right, and turn left at the library. It's the tallest house with balconies. Second floor, door on left."

Sakura bowed. "Thank you, ma'am," she said.

"As I said, kid, no prob. Just be careful, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Fine. Bye, kid," the woman said, leaping up onto a roof, her light brown coat flailing behind her.

**T_T T-T T_T**

Sakura stood in front of the door on left on the second floor of the tallest house with balconies.

More exactly, staring at them.

They were open.

There was a narrow, short corridor seen behind them, with an open doorway to the living room and two closed doors on each side of it.

She took in a breath and stepped in carefully.

The flat smelled like her sensei. Like hair-gel, aromatic soap and books.

That could be easily guessed, given his hobbies and nature.

What Sakura really didn't get was the cherry soap.

She remembered she forgot to take off her shoes and removed them, leaving them in front of the door as she closed it.

Okay.

She just stepped into the flat of an elite jounin, uninvited.

Oh well.

Walking through the surprisingly neat corridor, she stepped into the living room.

There was a picture on a low table, a vest hanging on a chair and an empty mug standing on a rack full of various ninja weapons.

It was quite neat, organized, but cold. It lacked the touch of one's personality most houses have.

Sakura walked in, touching the vest.

But, maybe it was exactly like Kakashi.

Nice, composed, but under the thin veil of carefree leisure lay something cold and impersonal.

She looked around.

There were two more doors. One were open and led to the kitchen.

She walked toward the other one, tilting her head so she could hear sounds from within.

There was no sound… wait, save a steady breathing.

Sakura made her trademark "pissed off" face.

He was sleeping!

She almost broke down the door with the force she opened it with.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!"

This voice was enough to wake up the whole house, really.

But obviously not enough to wake up Hatake Kakashi.

She jumped to him. "SENSEI!" she yelled into his face.

He murmured something and turned over.

"SENSEI WAKE UP!"

"Sakura…" she heard him mutter.

"YES, THAT'S ME, KAKASHI-SENSEI! NOW WAKE UP?"

Why was she still yelling to the fullest? Who the hell knows?

"You are… sometimes…" Kakashi turned to her again. "So cute."

"Whaaa?" she gaped, blushing.

The sleeping man continued his sleep-talk, obviously with the dream-Sakura. "Oh, stop…"

"Kami," Sakura muttered.

_The pervert! He is dreaming about me, right? I'll kick his ass out of the bed!_

Yeah, that was inner Sakura talking.

"Sakura…"

And then, the forementioned kunoichi did something incredibly stupid.

She leant over her sensei, until she was just inches from his ear and shouted at the top of her lungs.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!"

And the forementioned log let out a cute little sound, turning and snuggling into her arm she had propped beside him.

Wait.

Kakashi… snuggling something?

KAWAIII! (Umm… scratch that…)

Sakura was blushing really badly now.

"Come now," was heard from below her.

She was trying to ignore the nice, comfy feeling Kakashi's warmth starting to give her.

He was palming her forearm lovingly, nuzzling it with his cheek as well.

Something very girly-girly moved in her.

He seemed so affectionate!

Then something made her blush even harder.

Was he really dreaming about _her_?

She suddenly felt very awkward.

"Um… Kakashi-sensei?" she said in his ear.

Nothing moved.

His hair smelled nice. Like lemon shampoo and peach gel.

By the way, it had the same shape it had when he was awake.

Sakura wondered for a second if she could hear an actual sound if she tried knocking on it.

Well, if loud noises didn't work…

"Kakashi-sensei," she whispered quietly, barely making a sound.

His eyes flashed open.

Sakura sweatdropped.

Really?

"Sakura?" Kakashi said, sounding a bit startled. "What are you doing here?"

"You're about five hours late for the training, sensei."

"Oh, sorry about that," Kakashi smiled sheepishly. "I had some serious business last night and I needed to sleep it off. You see… there was this woman hanging off a cliff and…"

"I know you were out drinking all last night, sensei," Sakura said darkly.

"Oh." Kakashi managed to look even more apologetic than last time. Somehow. "So Anko betrayed me?"

Sakura shrugged. "Obviously."

Kakashi sighed. "Oh well." he glanced her over. "Did she tell you you can wake me up by lying on top of me as well?"

"Uh…" Sakura just right now realized the position they were in. She jumped off of him in a flash, blushing tremendously. "No."

Kakashi sat up, scratching his head. "You didn't have to do that," he said. "I didn't mind it."

Sakura stared at him. "What?"

He sighed. "Forget it." he looked around.

Sakura did so as well. This room was a lot like the other ones, in the fact that there was not much of Kakashi's actual property there, and it looked pretty hollow.

Well, there _was_ Kakashi's property there.

His headband lay on the floor at Sakura's feet, his jounin vest was tossed on the window-sill, one of his shoes lay on his bed while the other one was outside on the balcony, leant against the railing.

"Sorry about the mess," he said.

Sakura shrugged.

Wait.

He was wearing a mask?

"Sensei?"

Kakashi, who was positively falling asleep again, looked up at her. "Yes?"

"Do you usually wear your mask to the bed?"

He nodded lazily. Yes."

Another sweatdrop.

She watched as he sat up on his bed, slowly swaying as he didn't even bother to fight off the sleepiness.

"Sensei?"

"Yes, Sakura?"

"Are you going to go and train us?"

"Why, of course," he replied, shifting in his bed so he could lean against the wall. "In a while."

"In a while," she replied, of course knowing Kakashi was going to sleep again and let them wait as complete idiots for him for another three hours or so.

"Yes," he mumbled, already half asleep. "So you can go and wait for me there."

"Sensei, do you think I'm totally stupid?"

"Of course not, Sakura, you are smart. The smartest on your team."

She scowled at that. "Kakashi-sensei I know you're not planning to leave this bed."

"I am going to leave this bed," he objected. "In a while," he added.

"And that while means…?"

"A while," Kakashi replied.

"A while is a very objective conception."

Kakashi didn't reply to that.

Did he… just fell asleep?

"Kakashi!"

He rose his head, actually opening his eyes at that. "Sakura?"

"Get up finally!"

Kakashi crossed his arms. "Sakura, I think you have a problem with respect to your sensei."

"Yeah?!" Sakura shouted, pretty much pissed off now. "Well, Kakashi, you have a problem with your discipline!"

Kakashi rose his brows. "What happened to Kakashi-sensei?"

Sakura would blush and back off, but the wrath of the Inner Sakura was unleashed already. "HE GOT UP OF THAT DAMN BED AND WENT TO TRAIN HIS STUDENTS AS HE SHOULD!"

"Oh. So… then there's just me and you. That is, Kakashi and you."

This seriously made the Inner Sakura cringe and crawl back into the depths of Sakura's split mind.

There was a blush rising to Sakura's cheeks as she realized that indeed, she was alone in a bedroom with a man.

A good-looking man at that.

"Um… Sakura?" Kakashi asked after a while of silence.

"Yes?"

"Would you mind bringing me my headband?"

Sakura looked down at the piece of cloth at her feet. "Of course not," she said softly, as if apologizing for shouting at him that way.

She picked it up and walked over to him, handing it over.

But Kakashi's hand didn't catch the headband, but her wrist.

She looked at him in alarm.

He smiled and pulled the weakly struggling kunoichi to his chest.

She stopped fighting and froze when she realized her was hugging her from behind.

"Um… sensei?"

Kakashi took his time to answer, giving her enough time to somewhat get used to the feeling of Kakashi's strong arms around her, the feeling of his muscular chest pressing against her back, rising and dropping in a steady rhythm.

"Yes, Sakura?"

"Why are you doing this?"

He tensed for a split of a moment, then relaxed again and took his time to answer again.

It was almost comforting, the warmth and solidness he provided her.

"Because otherwise you would drag me away to the training," he replied.

She laid her head against his chest. "Sensei, you really shouldn't be doing this."

"I know," he replied more quickly this time. "That's why I'm doing it when no one is around."

Sakura didn't say anything more. She felt like it would break this moment and as wrong as it was, lying in a bed, being hugged by her sensei… it felt too nice for her to want it to end.

Kakashi sighed finally after few minutes, his grip on her loosening though he didn't let go yet.

"Okay. Shall we go and train, Sakura?"

He looked down at her student, who sat in his lap, nestled against his chest comfortably, almost asleep.

He smiled. "Sakura?"

Sakura sniffed softly, nuzzling his shirt with her cheek. "In a while…" she said quietly.


	3. I Can't Do That

**3**

_**I can't do that**_

* * *

The sky was particularly melancholic that day.

It was autumn, but there was no wind, only steel-grey clouds covering the sky.

Kakashi sat under a tree on a bed of colorful leaves, reading his Icha Icha book.

Sakura and Saskue stood in front of him, practicing their hand-to-hand combat.

Sakura tried to land a blow on Sasuke, using her hands and feet, while Sasuke tried to parry each blow.

Sakura, as expected, was failing, though most of the credit must go to Sasuke's sharingan.

She tried as much as she could, today was one of the days she was in such a gloomy mood she didn't care if she beats her idol into a pulp or not.

Fists and feet, either parried by arms and legs, or avoided by a quick dodge or jump to back or to the side.

And very impassive Kakashi "supervising" all of that from behind his book.

Sakura jumped back from Sasuke, panting. "I… can't do that," she managed to breath out.

Sasuke glared at her. "So try harder," he growled.

It was a general day of bad moods.

"Come on, Sakura, you can do it! Just land _one_ hit," Kakashi said encouragingly with a smile, the motivational effect of this somehow lessened by the fact that he said it without his eye leaving the book.

Sakura glanced at him and then at Sasuke, biting her lip.

She then charged forward again and tried to hit Sasuke in the head.

He caught her fist in his own hand, stopping it effectively.

She shifted her weight to her right leg, kicking out with her left.

He caught her leg as well, frowning at her. "Take a break," he said darkly, letting go off her with a strong push, causing her to lose her balance and fall. "You're even slower than when we began."

She glared at him as he turned and walked few steps away, assuming a stance and drawing a kunai out of his pouch to throw it.

For once she actually realized how rude he is.

"Sakura."

The pink haired kunoichi turned to the side, facing her sensei, who even put down his book for once.

"Come here."

She nodded and obeyed, standing up and then sitting down again next to the silver haired jounin.

"Sensei?"

Kakashi lifted his book again, easily annoying Sakura. "You can't hit Sasuke, right?"

_Nice you realized. _"Yes, I…" She sighed and put her fisted hands on her knees. "I can't do it."

"That's right," Kakashi nodded. "You can't. There is no way you can hit Sasuke with his sharingan."

Sakura frowned at him. "What's the point of this training, then?"

Kakashi shrugged. "There is more of points, actually. As a ninja, more or less often, you will be faced in a while with someone who's hand-to-hand combat skills or long-range-fighting skills will be far superior to yours. It is very important for you to be able to recognize when you really _can't do it_, and thus not waste your time and strength by trying."

"I see," she muttered, watching Sasuke as he attacked a dummy continuously with his kunai, effectively slashing it to bits hit by hit. "What should I do when I find that out? Flee?"

"That's the other point of this practice. You can either try to change the battle to your liking, by keeping your distance or the other way around…"

"But that won't help _me_, because Sasuke is better at a long-range combat than me."

"Right. That keeps you with only one choice." He actually looked at her with a smile when he said, "Cheat."

"Cheat? Should I use some ninjutsu?"

"No. Try to land a blow on him using any means necessary _without_ using ninjutsus."

Sakura looked up at him curiously. "Any means necessary?"

He smiled even more broadly, returning to his book. "Yes, that's the part of that statement you should think about."

She looked at Sasuke again and stood up.

"Good luck, Sakura," Kakashi called after her as she walked away.

She looked back at him. He wasn't looking at her, of course. He was reading his perverted book.

She sighed.

As always.

One day, she will steal that book from him and find out what was so damn interesting about it.

She turned back at Sasuke who ignored her, walking up to him.

"Sasuke."

He stopped hacking the dummy to shreds and turned to her, putting his kunai away. "Sakura. Ready to continue?"

She swallowed. "Sasuke… I…"

His brow rose. "Yes?"

She walked few steps towards him. "Sasuke…"

He surveyed her warily with his scarlet eyes. "Sakura?"

She closed the gap between them.

The sky seethed above them, and few first droplets fell from it, getting caught in Sasuke's hair, latching to his face, glistening, giving it all somewhat unreal look.

She kissed him, the warmth of his body and lips contrasting the icy wind that started to blow and the chilly rainwater.

And then…

Sakura punched him in the gut. Hard.

It stole Sasuke's breath, leaving him standing few steps away from Sakura where the blow had flung him, clutching his stomach, glaring at her.

It was heartbreaking.

Sakura stood, tears welling up in her eyes.

This was her first kiss.

"I am sorry, Sasuke."

His eyes narrowed. "You get me and then _apologize_?"

She bit her lip, whipped by the icy air.

"Good work Sakura."

Sakura didn't look at Kakashi. It was all his fault.

"The practice is over. You can go home."

Sasuke nodded and jumped up on a tree branch, looking around for a while before leaping away on a nearby rooftop.

After Sasuke disappeared in the heavy rain, in which the drizzle quickly led, Sakura turned to Kakashi.

There were glittering drops of rain in his hair, and drop got caught in his lashes. The glittering water gave his silver hair even more metallic look.

"Sensei," she said, swallowing a sob. "I can't do this. I can't."

Kakashi smiled at her sympathetically. "I understand, Sakura," he said softly. "You should be grateful for it."


	4. Crab

4 Crab

Sakura sighed, watching Naruto chase a small, red creature along the shore.

"Naruto, you're such an idiot," she moaned.

"What's wrong about chasing a crab, Sakura?" Kakashi asked, reading his Icha Icha book once again.

"Why would someone want to chase a crab? It's just a crab! Why is he doing it?"

"And why is crab walking sideways?"

Sakura turned to him. "Huh?"

"Why is crab walking sideways, Sakura?"

"How should I know?" she asked, confused. "It's his nature or something."

Kakashi smiled. "That's right, Sakura. Crab is walking sideways because it's his nature. He's just like that."

Sakura looked at the jolly blonde, who just managed to chase the poor animal down and was holding it now.

"Sensei?"

"Yes, Sakura?"

"I still think crabs are weird."

T_T T-T T_T

_**OMAKE**_

"Sensei?"

"Yes, Sakura?"

"Do you think that when the crab will grow up, he will stop walking sideways?"

Kakashi looked up from his book and looked at Naruto, who still struggled to keep the crab in his hands. "I don't know, Sakura," he admitted.


	5. Chocolate

**5**

_**Chocolate**_

* * *

"Sasuke, is something wrong?"

"No."

"But, Sasuke…"

"I'm alright, Sakura."

The girl sighed, stepping back from her teammate, who sat on the windowsill, staring out at the crimson sunset.

"You… know that if… anything happened to you…" Sakura was blushing now. "You can tell me."

He turned to her finally, glaring. "Why should I?"

The blush deepened. "Because that's what friends are for."

He looked back at the sky. "I don't need friends."

Sakura looked as if he just slapped her. "Okay. Bye, Sasuke."

He heard the door thud as she left.

He let his head drop, a pained expression flowing over his face.

T_T T-T T_T

Sakura stood next to the door, leaning against the wall, fighting back tears.

Why?

Why, every time she – every time anyone tried to help him, he shoved them away?

She turned, leaning her forehead against the wall.

_Why, Sasuke?_

And then she heard it.

Muffled sobs.

Behind the wall.

Sasuke was crying.

Not really thinking about what she's doing, she opened the door and ran to him.

He sat hunched on the same place where she left him, hugging his knees, face buried in them.

His whole body was quaking.

She ran to him and hugged him.

"Sasuke," she muttered, her own tears spilling to her cheeks.

He tensed, though his sobs didn't stop.

"I… am here for you," she continued, stroking his hair as he she held him close to her chest. "Don't worry."

"Go away, Sakura," he said weakly.

She held him even tighter.

"Go away, Sakura," he repeated, struggling against her grip.

He freed himself, and looked up into her watery eyes with his own, equally wet, red from crying.

"Go. Away. Sakura," he said threateningly.

Tears streamed down her face. "Why, Sasuke?" she moaned.

He looked away from her. "Just go away."

She held her hands close to her chest, as if hugging the air. "You don't have to be alone."

She saw him close his eyes. "Just get out already," he said harshly, turning his back to her. "You're _so annoying_."

She gave him one last look before leaving.

T_T T-T T_T

Sakura woke up.

It was beautiful morning, far too beautiful for her liking.

She sighed, seeing all the balled-up tissues on her bed.

She cried whole last night.

She got up, gathering up the mess from her bed and throwing it into a trash can.

Sighing, she turned, looking out of the window at the cloudless, endlessly cerulean sky.

There was something on the window sill.

She walked up to the window and opened it, picking up the little packet behind it.

Curiously, she ripped the pink wrapping.

There was a chocolate, and a note.

Setting the chocolate aside, she took the note and read it.

_I am sorry, Sakura. Thank you._

_Sasuke_

Biting her lip, she took the chocolate, snapping a slab off, putting it into her mouth.

It was sweet, but bitter as well.

She smiled, feeling her eyes water again.

Like Sasuke.


	6. Sweet

**6**

_**Sweet**_

* * *

Sakura Haruno was walking through the streets of Konoha, carrying a red box in her hands.

It was a box of sweets, sweets for Sasuke.

"Yo, Sakura."

Sakura, who was lost in her thoughts, looked up. "Kakashi-sensei," she said with a smile. Kakashi stood leaning against the wall next to the entrance to a dango shop. "Hello."

"Where are you going?"

She lifted up the box. "To Sasuke's. I've got some home-made sweets for him."

"Oh," Kakashi pulled away from the wall. "Can I go with you?"

"Um… yes, of course, Kakashi-sensei."

She wasn't much excited about the prospect of Kakashi spoiling a possible nice moment with Sasuke, but it was less likely for him to simply snap her off with Kakashi around.

"I needed to talk to him, anyway."

Sakura nodded absent-mindedly.

Kakashi walked by her side, hands stuck in his pockets. "Why are you getting him sweets, by the way?"

Sakura blushed a bit. "I… um... I… happen to like Sasuke," she admitted.

"Oh…" Kakashi didn't seem a tiniest bit awkward about the way their conversation went. "I've noticed few hints."

"Oh."

"Like the looks you give him when he looks upset or angry."

Sakura looked at her hands clutching the box tightly.

"Or the sneaky touches of his shoulder or arm."

She almost regretted saying yes.

"Do you happen to have something licorice in that box of yours?"

She looked up, taking a bit off-guard by the question. "Huh?"

"Licorice," Kakashi repeated helpfully.

"Licorice?" She blinked and looked at the box. "Oh, yes, of course. Licorice, cinnamon, vanilla… all kinds."

"Do you like licorice, Sakura?"

"Why, yes, sensei," she replied, confused.

"Why? It's so bitter."

Sakura frowned a bit. "It is - on the first taste," she shrugged, suddenly having an obsessive feeling that she wasn't talking about licorice. "But then, when you taste more and concentrate on the taste… it's sweet. Not perfectly sweet like vanilla, not spicily sweet as cinnamon. Bitter, but sweet." She smiled slightly again. "Bittersweet."

Kakashi's eye crinkled. "Why not vanilla? It's simpler."

"Because…" She looked up at Kakashi. "Because when I try vanilla, it's not the same feeling that I have when I taste licorice."

Kakashi pondered about that for a while, as they slowly approached Sasuke's door. "So… you like licorice because of the bitterness?" he asked finally.

And Sakura smiled, smiled broadly, because somewhere inside she felt like one piece of the puzzle just snapped to place. Something found its place. She smiled and answered, the answer confusing her poor, silver-haired sensei even more.

"No. I like it because it's sweet."


	7. Make-Up

**7**

_**Make-up**_

* * *

Sakura sat in front of the mirror in her room, eye-pencil in her hand, emphasizing the bright beauty of her emerald eyes with soft, thin lines.

"Is that you, Haruno Sakura?"

Sakura smiled a bit at the man, who she saw in the reflection, sitting on her window. "Yes."

Kakashi shook his head. "I leave the village for few months, and in the meantime, you grow even more. One day I'll return and you'll be a married woman."

Sakura blushed a bit at that, the blush covered by the layer of make-up and the hint of blusher she put on to accentuate her cheekbones. "Maybe, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi observed her silently. "Why the finery?" he asked finally.

"Kiba-kun celebrates his birthday today, and he made a party for us… kids." She added a bit of mascara and leaned back to look at the outcome of her work.

"You look beautiful, Sakura," Kakashi assured her.

She looked down immediately. "Thank you, sensei."

"Can you not call me sensei for a while? I feel so old when a grown woman like you calls me sensei."

She bit her lipstick-covered lips. "I'm barely eighteen, sensei."

"Please, Sakura."

She took in a breath and looked up at the reflection of Kakashi in her mirror. "Okay… Kakashi."

The word had a strange taste on her tongue. It felt… like reminder of old times, like the old, happy Team Seven, like the old, foolish Sakura. It was bittersweet, the mix of foolish naivety and happiness…

She felt her eyes get watery.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you."

"When?"

"When bad things were happening, when you cried, when you fought with yourself."

"It's not your fault, Kakashi."

"It is. But I couldn't help even if I wanted. I've never understood you, Sakura. And perhaps I never will. All I know is that I can be there for you now - and that you don't need me anymore."

She swallowed. "That's not true, sensei."

"It is. I am like that make-up: you can use me to feel a bit better, to have some false sense of security. You can hide behind me. But in the end, having me around would be just bad for you. In the end, I mean nothing."

"You mean a lot to me, sensei."

"And you mean a lot to me, Sakura. We share a fair bit of a past. But your past is where I belong. There is no need for me anymore. There is a difference between me and the make-up: you never needed it. You are beautiful enough without it."

She turned and looked at him straightforward. "Kakashi."

He looked at her. Melancholically, with deep grief hidden beneath. "Good night, Sakura," he said and turned to jump out of her window.

"Kakashi. Please. Stay."

But she knew what will happen.

Kakashi left.

They always left.

Left her alone.

Kakashi, Sasuke…

Tears began to stream down her face, washing away her carefully applied make-up.

Taking a handful of tissues, she rubbed it all away, tears and make-up alike.

Colorful swirls on the tissue when she put it away, red from lipstick and black from mascara…

It looked like a sharingan eye.

In the end she left, without the make-up, without anything to hide behind.

Because she couldn't face life if she hid her face beneath it.

Because, in the end, the make-up meant nothing.


	8. Mobile Phone

**8**

_**Mobile phone**_

* * *

There was a certain place in Konoha Kakashi always loved.

A pair of benches amidst small, artificial ponds, one on each side of a cherry-tree.

When it blossomed, and tiny pink leaves danced in the wind, it was the most beautiful place in the world.

You could just imagine all of the lovers sitting there, one of each side of the tree, exchanging insignificant sweet words as leaves rained on them.

He approached his favorite bench - the one facing the east.

His every step echoed through a creak of the old wooden bridge that crossed one of the ponds.

And suddenly, he heard a sob, followed by a tearful chuckle. And then a whisper, almost inaudible as a gust of wind raked through the tree-tops, sending thousands of voices to a choral of rustles.

Strange.

Kakashi never met anyone on his travels there.

The sakura tree above him wept, its tears in form of soft pink leaves raining down on him as he approached the abandoned bench.

When he raised his hand, something landed in his palm.

Sakura.

A cherry blossom.

"Naruto…"

Kakashi froze.

"Sakura-chan, I am so sorry…"

"Shut up, idiot," Sakura said softly, her sobs muffling.

And Naruto did, quiet as Sakura cried.

Kakashi smiled fondly. It seemed that he was right when he said those clichéd, would-be consoling words that everything bad came with something good.

It seemed Sakura and Naruto made it over the childish part.

He sat down on the bench, ready to pull out his book from his pocket, when he noticed a pink phone laying beside him.

He picked it up from sheer curiosity, as always totally disregarding the privacy of his students.

Sakura and Naruto were talking now behind him, but he paid no attention to their words as he found Sakura's message box.

The newest messages were from Sasuke.

Kakashi shook his head.

Sasuke.

The one person that could easily make Sakura, sometimes one of the strongest persons he knew, cry.

He found their today's conversation - it was longer than he thought it would be, considering it was Sasuke.

_Sasuke: Hi, Sakura. I just wanted to ask: Are you alright? You seemed upset during the training._

_Me: Yes, Sasuke-kun. I'm fine. Thank you for asking._

_Sasuke: You sure? I mean - you were so distracted. You are usually very concentrated._

_Me: It's nothing._

_Sasuke: If something bothers you, you can tell me._

_Me: And you ask me if I'm alright? It's so unlike you, Sasuke-kun._

_Sasuke: You are my teammate. It's bad for the team if one of the team is inefficient from emotional reasons._

_Me: Okay. It's my dad. I just can't get over it. I was so used to having both my parents… and now dad's gone._

_Sasuke: I understand what you feel, Sakura. And I know you should be glad._

_Me: Glad?_

_Sasuke: For all the moments you had together. You may not have a father anymore, but you still have your memories. When you feel alone, when you feel cornered and need father's hand, remember him._

_Me: Sasuke-kun… thank you._

_Sasuke: And remember as well that you've got your mother to share your grief with. Even if it may not look so right now, you're not alone. You have us, Sasuke, Kakashi and me. And you've got your mother. We'll be there for you, Sakura-chan._

_Me: Naruto? Why… how did you get to Sasuke's phone?_

_Sasuke: Heh, I stole it. I knew you needed to hear this, Sakura-chan, and I knew you would not listen if I told you._

_Me: Thank you, Naruto._

_Me: Where are you?_

_Sasuke: I'm at home, why?_

_Me: Do you know the park with the ponds and the cherry-tree?_

_Sasuke: Yeah._

_Me: Could you come here, please?_

_Sasuke: Of course, Sakura-chan._

There was one more message, one Sakura obviously didn't open before.

_Sasuke: I would do anything for you._

And on the other side of the tree, flooded with leaves, sat Sakura and Naruto.

Naruto had Sakura in a tight embrace, his face buried in her hair as she cried into his jacket.

And the tree above them rained sakuras on them, and the ponds around them whispered as the water washed over rocks and pebbles, and old planks creaked as Kakashi walked away.


	9. Videos

**9**

_**Videos**_

* * *

She lay on a bed, unable to move, unable to think.

Sasuke left.

Naruto and the others went to retrieve him.

He_ promised_ to bring him back.

And they haven't returned yet.

She closed her eyes. Everything, everything she saw was like reminder of Sasuke for her.

The black cover of the book on her desk - raven black like Sasuke's hair.

The plate with sweets - Sasuke hated sweets.

Red flowerpot on the window sill - red like Sasuke's sharingan.

The daffodil in it - daffodil, like the one she brought him to the hospital.

Apple-shaped alarm clock - she brought him apples the day he fought with Naruto.

White blankets - white blankets fluttering in the wind on the hospital roof.

And every little reminder came with pain, a sharp, stabbing pain in her heart.

_I love you so much, Sasuke, so please, stay with me!_

She grabbed her head, grasping her hair tightly to the point where it hurt, as if it could ease the pain in her chest.

_Thank you, Sakura._

She brought her fisted hands to her eyes, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to flow down her cheeks and drip from her jaw, staining her blankets, worse than blood.

_I don't remember._

She sat up and started beating her duvet, bringing her fists down with crushing force.

_We'd be happy, I swear!_

Her legs ached as she pounded them along with the duvet, but she didn't care. The gush of wind from the open window brushed her naked neck softly, as Sasuke's breath did when he said his last words to her.

_Thank you, Sakura._

Sasuke…

_My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything._

She wished for it all to just go away, the memories of Sasuke, the pain, the tears, everything. She wished she could just lie down and die.

_It's common courtesy to give your name before asking others for theirs._

_Naruto, you're such a loser._

_I am sure you noticed it before anyone else did, Sakura._

"Sakura."

_Sakura, could you please step aside?_

_Sakura, let go of me._

_Sakura, don't interfere._

"Sakura."

She rose her head.

Kakashi.

In her room, for once bothering to use the door.

"I've just heard."

Sakura bit her tongue. She felt like she couldn't utter a word.

_He's gone, sensei. Gone. And I'm afraid it's for good._

"I will not pretend I know how you feel."

She stared at him blankly, tears raining down on her hands, on the sheets, everywhere. It was like lying in an ocean.

_Thank you, sensei._

Just not soothing.

"I've brought you something."

He pulled out a cassette from his pocket.

"I don't say it will help."

She blinked.

"Maybe it will make it all worse."

_It can't. Believe me._

"But it's all I have for you."

Not waiting for a reply he knew that won't come, he laid the cassette in the foot of her bed and walked away.

She didn't move for a long time.

Then she leant forward, snatching the cassette and laying back again.

She held it above her head.

It was black, like Sasuke's eyes.

It was rectangular, like the box of sweets Sakura brought him once.

Which he rejected, because he hated sweets.

There was a title stuck on one of its edges.

_Team Seven_, it read.

Non-existent Team Seven, she thought.

Former Team Seven.

Cursed Team Seven.

It was a thing of a past now, the fun they had, the danger which they faced side-by-side, the smiles they shared…

Damn you, Kakashi.

Damn you.

T_T T-T T_T

She didn't know how she ended up watching it.

All she knew was that her mother was beside her when she started and left the moment she began to cry again.

There were videos on the tape. Quick insights into the life of one team.

Team Seven.

There was picnic on a beautiful meadow, where Naruto challenged Sasuke to an eating contest and they ate all the food they had.

Kakashi filmed it all, Sasuke's challenging glare, Naruto's childish pout, Sakura's annoyed expression when both boys turned green.

There was a nice, comfy moment around a small, but bright fire, when the three gennin had to share one blanket… and Sakura ended up in the middle of a glaring contest.

Naruto and Sasuke sparring, filmed by Sakura, who was trying to get a close-up of Sasuke's face all the time.

Sakura sitting on a rail, eating a dango, smiling.

Naruto with a bump on his head, grinning as he stuck his tongue out at Kakashi.

Sasuke, appearing indifferent, but with the slightest hint of smile on his lips when Sakura rained insults on Naruto's head.

There was a knob forming in her throat, cutting out sobs along with breaths.

Naruto sleeping, snoring loudly.

The camera slid to the side and found Kakashi tucking in an exhausted Sakura with a fond expression.

He patted her head before leaving, placing a kiss into her hair.

Sasuke filmed that.

There was a close-up on Sakura's face, peaceful and cute when she slept, before the video ended.

A single tear weaved its way across Sakura's cheek reddened with crying.

And then…

Sasuke, sitting on a boulder, smiling.

Really smiling.

It was one of his rare, full-fledged smiles.

He wasn't looking at the one who filmed him, but somewhere else, pink and golden sunrise dancing on his skin and in his eyes, even emphasizing the smile.

It was a smile that would bring girls to knees if they saw it.

It was a smile Sakura prayed to see once.

It was a smile Sasuke never gave her.

She covered her face with her hands, just in the same time Sasuke mouthed few fond words secretly.

Words that would make Sakura's heart jump if she saw them.

But she didn't.

And she kept crying, crying for the guy she thought that never cared about anyone.

Crying for the guy who refused to cry.

Crying for the guy who was currently fleeing Konoha, hoping that he could gather enough hate and ice in his heart to freeze those tears, so he never had to spill them.

_Sakura, Naruto… idiots. Be careful._


	10. Awesome

**10**

_**Awesome**_

* * *

Tears.

She would spill them, if they meant anything.

But no tears she could spill were enough to cure that.

No tears could replenish the chakra she lacked; no tears could teach her ways to cure that kind of an injury.

So she did what she could.

Sat by his side as the life slowly, mercilessly, left his body.

"Sakura-chan," he said.

"Yes?"

"You're not crying."

She nodded.

"Why?"

She dipped her head. "I spilled enough tears to last a lifetime."

"That's true," he smiled a bit. "Besides, there is nothing to cry about."

"How do you mean that?"

"My life won't go in vain. And my last deed was just awesome."

She had to chuckle, she couldn't stop it.

After all that happened, he was still a kid.

It was… awesome, really, how he could stay light-hearted, hoping, even after his own life slapped him down countless times.

Maybe having a child in your heart was the only way to keep going. Only child could shake it all off.

"I mean… saving the whole village, kicking the bad guy's ass… awesome."

She held his hand in hers. "Yes, Naruto. Awesome."

"Everyone will remember such an awesome fight, won't they? Everyone will remember the man who sacrificed himself for Konoha."

"Yes, Naruto. They will. They won't disrespect you anymore. They will remember you, not as some random guy, but as somebody important. As Uzumaki Naruto. The guy that could have been the greatest Hokage."

Naruto smiled more, despite the pain. "You remember."

"You're hard to forget."

"That's what I've been aiming for. My whole life. For people to remember me."

"They will."

"Tell everyone to remember me as the awesome kick-ass ninja I was, not as the knucklehead everyone saw me as."

Sakura laughed softly. "Naruto, you're really weird. You make me laugh watching my friend and comrade dying."

Naruto coughed out some blood, and his eyes started closing. He was slipping away. Every time now, he could leave for good.

"I'm… just that awesome, Sakura-chan…."

His eyes closed.


	11. Red

**11**

_**Red**_

* * *

Sakura knelt in front of the memorial stone, clad in smooth red kimono.

Red.

The color of her suffering, of her sorrow.

Red.

Like Sasuke's blood on her hands when she tried to heal him after Itachi stabbed him.

Red.

Like the last, long, dying stare she got from her sensei, the unblinking, bright look of his scarlet and onyx sharingan eye.

Red.

Like Lee's headband, laid on his coffin during the funeral.

Red.

Like the swirl on the back of Naruto's jacket, the last thing she saw of him, before they came to tell her he died during a mission.

Red.

Like curtains in the bedroom the day she came home, and found her parents dead.

Red.

Like the flowers on the bedside table of Ino's bed in the hospital, the flowers she never saw because of her coma.

Red.

Like blood, like flesh, like sunsets.

* * *

**_I thought about red, like tomatoes on Shikamaru/Neji/Chouji's last meal, but then I thought it would seem somewhat… weird. What do you think?_**

**_Sorry there is just a few of red things. Lack of ideas._**


End file.
